At the time of Diesel’s death, he was on his way to England to attend the groundbreaking of a new diesel-engine plant—and to meet with the British navy about installing his engine on their submarines.
At the outset of this new age of electricity and oil, Europe stood on the precipice of war. Rudolf Diesel grew increasingly concerned about Germany’s rising nationalism and military spending. The inventor was on his way to London to establish a new company that would help Britain improve its failing submarine program when he disappeared.
One conspiracy theory was that Diesel was snuffed out by the German secret service because the Diesel engine played an instrumental part in the development of the U-boat — and they didn’t want him to share its secrets with the Brits.
The other, was that Rockefeller had him killed because Standard Oil was in a jam. The kerosene market was disappearing as the electric lightbulb replaced the old oil lamps, and electric taxis were all over New York proving that gas powered cars might not be needed. So, the future of petroleum fuels was in jeopardy, and the diesel engine could run on peanut oil, as was proven in the 1900 Paris Worlds Fair
The other, was that Rockefeller had him killed because Standard Oil was in a jam. The kerosene market was disappearing as the electric lightbulb replaced the old oil lamps, and electric taxis were all over New York proving that gas powered cars might not be needed. So, the future of petroleum fuels was in jeopardy, and the diesel engine could run on peanut oil, as was proven in the 1900 Paris Worlds Fair
For John D. Rockefeller, the diesel engine was nothing less than an existential threat to his vast and lucrative oil empire. Rockefeller’s bottom line depended on the world’s growing thirst for gasoline to power its automobiles and industries, and if you look around, getting food from the field to the consumer on other continents, turned out to be soley the domain of the diesel.
In the banana plantations for example, diesel engine powered trains, to the diesel engine powered ships, to the diesel engine powered trains to cities where diesel engine powered trucking distributes them to stores, with diesel engine powered back up generators.
Gas, though just right for cars, didn't work for commercial industry.
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